Published 22 March 2023 at 13.37
Domestic. Joseph Amoako, who played football for Helsingborgs IF, was sentenced in December to two years in prison and deportation for raping a 16-year-old girl. But now he is acquitted by the Court of Appeal after the defense presented new evidence.
Share the article
TwittraShare
Joseph Amoako, who was 19 at the time, shared an apartment with another player from Ghana who was also loaned by Helsingborgs IF. On May 28 this year, they had invited the 16-year-old and her friend to a party.
The four had gotten to know each other a couple of weeks earlier and had met a few times. However, it turned out that it was only the four of them in the apartment. The 16-year-old had told her parents that she was going to camp with the school so that she and her friend could secretly sleep over in the apartment.
The alleged rape took place during the night when the 16-year-old had fallen asleep. According to the district court, she woke up, interrupted Amoako's rape and received help and support from her friend who was in the same room. The 16-year-old stated that she believed that what happened was not a crime because she and her friend had come to the apartment themselves. It was only when she spoke with the school nurse after the summer that she reported the incident to the police, according to the verdict.
The district court sentenced Joseph Amoako to two years in prison and decided to deport him from Sweden with a ban on returning for 10 years. He would also pay damages to the girl.
However, the Court of Appeal makes a different evaluation of the evidence in the case and acquits Amoako of the prosecution.
The Court of Appeal considers, like the district court, that the information about the incident that the girl have left appear to be credible and reliable. Her information is also somewhat supported by what she has told other people after the incident.
In the Court of Appeal, however, there have been new witnesses. In the light of the information that has come to light, the Court of Appeal has found in a summary assessment that it is not beyond reasonable doubt that Amoako was guilty of the charged act.